I am writing to you a few words on the following matter. Yu. O. [Martov] writes that we will make a concession regarding the article on the otrezki [cut-off lands] of a formal character, that is, we will agree to vote on the remarks, and in this way it will again come out 3 to 3, and the article will go through without changes. I understood you differently, Vladimir Ilyich.

It seems to me that you too were in favor of making possible changes (or omissions) *) and thereby put an end as quickly as possible to the dispute over the article *). This is the only truly radical means to end the preliminaries and move on to a parting of the ways. Remember: the more concessions in this case, the better for us in the future, the firmer our position in relation to Plekhanov.

Vera Ivanovna, it seems, is very embittered against me because of my letters and sees in me something like an instigator. What is most offensive is that she now considers us the offenders, violating the most elementary requirements of justice. If we make a genuine concession on the question of the article, she will lose serious grounds for attacks. And it is very important for us to maintain at least tolerable relations with her. Only on this condition is the combination of our collaboration in Plekhanov's organ, which you have proposed, possible. Do this, Vladimir Ilyich!

I shake your hand firmly.
Yours

Regarding that calf 's [Struve's] enterprise, Vorwarts has already published a disclaimer, probably sent by the calf [Struve] himself2). Have you read his article in Vorwarts on terror3)?

14 (107 v).

A. N. POTRESOV — V. I. LENIN.
June 22, 1902.

*) I am tired of every bit of voting nonsense.
Lenin Collection, IV
9

*) The matter concerns the same article by Lenin and the conditions of its publication in *Zaria*. The plan of Martov's, against which Potresov objects here, was set forth by Martov in letter No. 10, point 5.

2) Regarding the above-mentioned note in *Vorwarts* about *Osvobozhdenie* [Liberation] (see note 5 to letter 11), Struve himself published in *Vorwarts* a declaration of the following content: "we have already reported in our Sunday issue about the forthcoming appearance of the journal *Osvobozhdenie* edited by P. B. Struve. By way of correction we can report that this journal is to enter into competition with the organs of Russian social-democracy. It is a matter of a purely political journal, which should collect all possible material for criticism of Russian absolutism and work towards the achievement of a constitution in the empire of the Tsar. The new journal will avoid any polemic with social-democracy and its press, but in no case will it thereby act in the role of an organ of Russian social-democracy and in general will not consider the problems of socialism as a sphere of its work. The journal is a literary enterprise which sets as its sole task to bring to all circles of society the idea of Russia's political liberation from the yoke of absolutism."

3) The article on terror in *Vorwarts*, which A. N. Potresov speaks of, appears to be the leading article in No. 139 of June 18, 1902, under the title "Zur Verteilung der Attentate in Russland" ("On the Distribution of Attempts [on life] in Russia"). The article is unsigned; it is preceded by an editorial note: "A well-known Russian jurist writes to us"... Its attribution to Struve is questionable.